The Hazard Chronicles

As I sit down to write this, I feel "unsettled." I actually sat for several minutes trying to think of that word before starting this post. It's not a bad thing. It's just that this week feels, in a way, really significant, and at the same time I have no idea why it should feel that way. Nothing super important happened. Events were fairly routine, and by all accounts it was a pretty forgettable week. And yet, it seems meaningful.

Maybe it's just one of those times where I subconsciously take stock of things and come away pretty grateful to find myself where I am. Maybe it's the turning of the seasons. Maybe it's reflecting on small changes that have taken place over months and months across multiple aspects of my life. Again, nothing super insightful to offer here, and I promise I'm not holding anything back- it just feels...well...unsettling...exactly because I can't explain it.

Anyway, just thought I'd share.

As for our activities, I'll put some descriptive captions on the photos.

Have a good week!

This is a "let's make the best of things" photo. It was actually taken after Rach had an awkward lift experience, but it is applicable to the following story: Jackson has, by far, the best ski gear in the family with the exception of Rachel and me. Expensive Black Diamond mitts, a brand new helmet with Bluetooth capabilities, legit alpine boots that aren't just former rentals...the works. A lot of this is because he puts a priority on skiing, and these have been birthday or Christmas presents. Anyway, when we walked out of the house on Saturday morning he was running a bit late. We were all waiting for him in the car when he came running out from the house with his bag, still chewing on the last remains of his breakfast. It had been kind of a rough morning. He quickly got in and we drove off, happy to be headed to the mountains.

But what was that scraping sound coming from the car? Probably just snow rubbing on the tires. We keep driving. Several minutes later it is still making that sound and we pull over to investigate.

Turns out that instead of putting his ski bag in the trunk, he simply dropped it behind the car. We inadvertently ran over it, and then dragged it under the car for a considerable distance. We actually had to jack up the car in order to dislodge the remnants from underneath. Long story short, pretty much everything is wrecked. It was bad.

I continued on with the rest of the family, and Rachel and Jack took a quick trip to the second-hand ski shop for new boots. They met us a few hours later on the mountain, Jackson dressed in extra gear that nobody else wears any more (we could open a small store with the amount of extra junk we have laying around). At least Addy was nice enough to trade him her black jacket for the pink one he had on. 

It's less than ideal. Thank goodness we only have a month left of the season to "make do," and then a whole year for him to build back up. I feel bad for him. But what're you gonna do? Buttons come and buttons go...or something.

I really like these last couple of photos. It was a week of spring-like conditions and the time of year has come where goals and objectives and performance and all that just take a back seat to FUN. Sometimes I tend to lose sight of that. Here we see Lindsey (top), Addy (bottom front) and Jack (bottom back) taking a lap through the park.

The whole family skied Saturday. We spent that night at the Wallace house, and Rach and I went out that night to watch a friend who happened to be doing a solo gig at a newly-opened business in town. The next day just Rachel, Evelyn, and I headed back up to the hill and the rest of the kids spent the day watching movies and "jumping off snow piles" around Wallace. We didn't get any phone calls from the police or child protective services, so I think we can call that a successful weekend for everyone.

This group of friends spends a lot of time together, and though they aren't in the same band, they all play instruments and can often be found busking together on the streets of downtown Coeur d'Alene. This week they added themselves, last minute, to the lineup of bands that were playing at a local coffee shop for some charity. They introduced themselves as "The Unprepared" and according to Evelyn, had "practiced for about an hour in the basement" in preparation. Some of their songs went well. Some, not so much. I guess that's what happens when you try to BS your way through a gig. Lesson learned? At least they had fun.

Last night Rachel and I went to the Reel Rock film festival. It's a big gathering of climbers, with lots of fun and a community where I feel recognized and valued. It was a great night!